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Cancelling our Hopes

It is very evident that life now with Covid is not what it used to be. This has affected people even like me and my family. When people used to cough or sneeze around you before Covid, we would not really get disgusted or scared, but just say “bless you.” This time has helped us realize how many germs we spread and will probably lead to more people wearing masks even after the virus is gone all around the world. My family has had to cancel going on a cruise, a trip to the Galapagos, Greece, Utah, Taos, and Cayman Islands. This was very sad because these things had been years in the making, not to mention, meeting old friends again. Cruises and planes are now considered high trafficked areas where risk is also high. It seems obvious that it is because the amount of passage can result in the transmission of diseases but we never took it so seriously. The nation has also changed due to Covid. In the beginning, and still a little bit now, the economy has suffered because everything had to be closed down. This rose unemployment with people having to be fired due to the companies not being able to pay their workers. Places that are still open, are not at max capacity to reduce exposure. No one has not been affected by the pandemic in big ways, and small ones.

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This is a comparison drawing I made comparing life before and during Covid.

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Everyone got scared of shaking people’s hands in fear of getting COVID so many came up with new ways to greet people.

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The New Me and the New Us

Not only has Covid shaped us all on how we react to diseases, but also on a physical and mental level. Quarantine and the whole pandemic has given me time to think and reflect back on myself, which has been very helpful. It also broader my interest in multiple things that I would have never thought I enjoyed. I have changed myself physically by working out more because of this extra free time which is one of the main contributions Covid has made. I now realize the importance even more than I already did of caring and bonding with your friends and family because you never know when you might not see them again. For some of my friends and family, it has been over a year that we have not seen each other which is not fun. This makes you think about making the most and best of each and every moment. I would explain to myself, if I could go back in time before Covid hit, to try new things and take advantage of the opportunities that are brought onto you. This way of thinking helps me live a regretless life and know I did everything I wanted to.

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This is an interview with my mom about the pandemic.
Q: How have you dealt with Covid?
A: I’ve kept working just as hard, learn to listen to people and comfort them and their fears, exercise, see close friends and family, cooked more than I would, get plenty of sleep, pray and pray some more, and keeping calm and not being scared.
Q: Has it taken any effect on your mental health, if so, how?
A: Nope, I’m not crazy, and get a little more tired at the end of the day but I’m not getting any younger!
Q: What do you miss from your normal life that Covid has taken away?
A: Vacations, out of the country specifically.
Q: Do you think you will ever be able to completely return to normal?
A: Yes but probably in a couple of years when everyone gets vaccinated, absolutely.
Q: What will you not miss from Covid? What will you miss?
A: I will miss that it brought family closer and I will not miss everything else!

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For over a year, we have been in this pandemic so it can be called our new normal and might continue on even after the outbreak is over. This will lead to people still wearing masks and social distancing.

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In early 2020, I loved hanging out with my friends every weekend not knowing what was to come. We would not even fathom wearing masks when around each other.

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Since the start of quarantine, there has been a lot of work and boredom. To satisfy both of these, I have been listening to more music than every. Before, I had listened to music a lot but even more that I had nothing to do. Many artists released new music in this time which has also been very nice. Some artists include ROLE MODEL, marcos g, Orange Rex County, david hugo, A$AP Rocky, and Russ. This time has allowed me to broaden my taste in music and expose me to not popular artists. With artists dying just months before, this gave time to listen to their music and remember them.

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This picture is of my sister and me on the beach in Anna Maria Island. Though only the early stage, people still kept their distance even at the beach. Some days, the beach would be completely empty, others, a few people.

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With the Perseverance rover landing on mars, it started looking for micro life. It discovered three dried out lakes and this leads us to believe there is water under Mar’s crust. The microorganisms‘ fossils also supports this idea. This could be the future for us in years to come. This supplies a “backup” planet for us if something goes wrong.

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A lot of people starting joking around about the slightest cough or sniffle was corona.

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At the airport, with it being a heavily trafficked area, we wore masks on and off the airplane for our safety and others. This was when I went to Vail, Colorado and snowboarded.

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With a measly radio announcement of a single case of a virus from China, we did not know what we were getting into. Little did week know the havoc it would cause for, what’s been, over a year. Everyone force to quarantine, wear masks, and social distance, it was not what we expected. We were all so full of joy when we were told that we would leave school for a little bit but now we regret it. Missing out on friends and past year events, it has ruined plans one after another.

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Since the beginning of quarantine, I have started to become more bored and this has lead to me expanding the shows I’m watching. This has cause me to watch many shows which some I have found very interesting. I have two which are particularly my favorite, Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Blacklist. In F1, it covers the progression of the Red Bull team and its drivers. These leads to stress, dropouts, wins, crashes, and even casualties, all to come out on top. After watching this show, my dad and I decided to go to the Formula 1 Prix in Miami when it comes in 2022. The Blacklist is a longer series that focusing on an FBI agent who is working with a criminal mastermind who turned himself in for an unknown reason. The criminal, Raymond Reddigton, supplies them with a list of the most dangerous criminals he calls “The Blacklist.”

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The First of the Virus

I remember the day like it was any other, being dropped off at school with the radio on. In Washington, the first person had contracted a virus that was from China.  It was such a harmless message but for some reason it stuck in my mind. I did not think of it much of it because I was focusing on History Day. It was a great day full of laughter and fun and on top of that, we had an extended spring break because of the virus we had heard about. This seemed like the best thing ever, who wouldn’t want more time of school? I was ready to have fun with my friends, until things started to shut down. People were underreacting, thinking it would just pass away in a couple of days or weeks. Slowly one by one, all the things we planned would get cancelled making us worry what effect the virus would have on the world. The realization of the new reality became very apparent and soon became a pandemic. Regret of leaving school filled everyone and we wished for our lives to go back to normal. Instead, it was replaced with a “normal” with masks, social distancing, and vaccines. This has taken a toll on all our mental, physical, emotional, and social health.

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Being online, everyone was very drained of feeling and gloom, wishing they could see their friends and go back to normal.

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This is an interview with my dad about the pandemic.
Q: How have you dealt with Covid?
A: I have dealt with it by educating myself as much as possible so that I can not only keep my family and myself as safe as possible, but also to help and educate my patients on how to be safe against the pandemic.  I also am enjoying more time with my family and praying not just for my family’s well-being but everyone in the world as well.
Q: Has it taken any effect on your mental health, if so, how?
A: It doesn’t feel like it has. Maybe just anxious to get back to some form of normalcy in the sense of being able to get out more travel etc.
Q: What do you miss from your normal life that Covid has taken away?
A: Traveling.
Q: Do you think you will ever be able to completely return to normal?
A: I do. I think this is not the first or last pandemic that the human race has had to overcome. As humans we are resilient and we will continue to find innovative ways to survive.
Q: What will you not miss from Covid? What will you miss?
A:

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This video is for myself in 20 years to reflect on how my life with others is and how it was back then

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My uncle had a heart surgery which made him take immune suppressing medicine. This led to everyone having to wear masks around him to lower the risk. He loves classic movies so when I wanted him to be my confirmation sponsor, I gave him a movie poster that related to asking him.

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When it came to a 306 to 232 electoral vote, Joseph R. Biden became the president. Biden became the 46th president once he was sworn in on that Wednesday after noon. Being part of the Democratic Party, their platforms would be what Biden would focus his accomplishments on. His running mate, Kamala Harris, became the Vice President. Harris’s role became more important due to the fact that the Senate is 50/50 spilt. This allows her to vote on a tie breaker which will now happen frequently.

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This is my mom and me waiting at a restaurant by the fireplace. We had to, and still do, needed to wait with your masks on and socially distance. Once we were at our table, we could take our masks off and the waiters would keep theirs on all day.

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Having to quarantine, it made all of us have to do school online and from home.